When Trust Became a Poisoned Blade

ter fell into a coma. He said he would handle the media sto

s Square billboard, accepting an award for my a

hey orchestrated my daughter's "accident," stole my life's work,

d, threatening our daughter

ce agreement, thinking he wa

y lawyer brother had already f

walked away w

pte

he sound of my daughter' s small body hitting the ground after she was

ers. My fantastical worlds were my escape, and for a while, they were my daughter A

second-story balcony. The school whispered of an argument, a classmate's artwork, and Al

electively edited video, a distorted clip that painted me as an aggressive, hysterical parent. Overnight, I was "canceled." The internet, once m

ssuring. He was the anchor in my storm, or so I thought. "Let me handle this. You

urying myself in the secluded mountain cabin, becoming a ghost to the world, a silent sentinel by Alexis's bedside. I poured my grief and my fight into my art, a desperate

Two long, s

outine check-up, my heart a hollow ache, when I saw it. A massive screen in Times Square, blazing with color and lig

e through ice. She was smiling, basking in the applause, holding a trophy that should have been mine.

e world spun, the bright lights of the cit

ound myself in front of Emmett's sleek corporate building, the same building where he' d assured m

nnel. When I reached his office, the door was slightly ajar. I he

, reached my ears. "To pulling it off. Who k

against the cold wall, my b

. "She made it easy. So trusting. And that pathetic daughter of hers.

h one a hammer shattering my reality. Ale

"I still can't believe he managed to push her without a

s. My daughter. My heart spasmed, a searing pain tearing t

, my trust-all stolen, trampled, and laughed about. The love I felt for Emmett curdled into

ly number that mattered now. Jeremiah Battle, my adoptive

arely recognizable. "I need your help. I

r end, then his calm, steady

rds out. "Everything. They took

r than I'd ever heard it. "I'll help you. On one condition. You and A

eline, a safe harbor. "Yes,"

methodical, precise, mapping out every step. I felt a flicker of strength I hadn't known I possessed. The pa

I hadn't seen in two years, a new, cloying sweetness in his smile. The cloying scent of Elisa's expensive perfume clung to

ful neutrality. I needed something from him, something crucial for

teady. "I saw something today. On a scree

" he began, his voice laced with the patronizing tone I now recognized as a precursor to his lies. "It's just a mis

. "You mean stuck in this mausoleum because my daughter w

that. We were trying to keep your na

creeping in. "By letting Elisa take credit for

e. I recoiled as if burned. "Don't be dramatic. I can sort this out.

more lies. No more 'misunderstandings.' I'm going to take

Adelia, don't be foolish. It will only stir up more trouble. For all o

g. "Did she mean harm when her son pushed Alexis off that ba

l was an accident. We covered it up to protect you from further scandal." He even m

he dismissed my daughter's suffering. "You lie so easily, Emmett. I heard you. I heard everything. Elisa's son, Gordon,

features. "Adelia, you're delusional. You're stressed. You're imagining thin

She stood there, pale and trembling, her eyes wide with what

ologize for the Times Square snafu. It was all a mistake, a misunderstanding." Her eyes darted to Emmett, a silent plea. She even managed a tear. "I kn

upset. Let's just talk this through, calmly." He cast a pointed look at me, a warning. Then, he turned to Elis

with the viper. Elisa's facade crumbled instantly. Her eyes

cked a school official." She stepped closer, her voice dropping to a venomous whisper. "And your precious Alexis? She deserved what she got. Little plagiar

he pain, all the silent suffering, all the years of pretending, exploded. I didn

off guard. Then, her eyes narrowed. She lunged at me, clawing at my face. I struggled, pushing her away, a primal scream tearing f

anded on Elisa, crumpled on the floor, then o

roar. He rushed to Elisa's side, ignoring me

inger at me. "She... she attacked me! F

e said... she said Alexis deserved it! She sai

out, Adelia! Get out of my sight! You're a danger to everyone!" He pushed me, hard, sending me sp

n, tears streaming down my face. "S

contorted with rage. "You attacked her! This is what y

d to the floor, my head throbbing, a deep ache spreading through my body. The man I loved, the man who